A 'log shack' and happy family enough for bush woman

Page 5

In a small wooden church, on Sept. 25, Robert and Philomen Aulotte were married in the autumn of 1936. Although they both lived in Fishing Lake, they drove a team and wagon to Onion Lake, Saskatchewan for the ceremony.

"There was no church here," said 68-year-old Philomen, from her home on the Fishing Lake Metis Settlement.

"We had just a little celebration with my family and Robert's family." The Catholic Sisters gave them a meal then they returned home to Fishing Lake and for 23 years the Aulottes lived "across the lake" in a log shack.

"Three kids were born there in that same shack," said Aulotte. "You were never born in a hospital at that time, you were born in the bush."

After the birth of her first son, Aulotte continued to work in the fields along side her husband. Babysitting was not a problem.

"I used to make a bed in the stook, put a blanket on it, and lay him (the baby) there. I had a dog that used to watch the baby. When I stooked far away, I knew when the baby was awake. The dog used to run circles around the baby," said Aulotte, motioning with her hand and smiling at the memory. She shakes her head in disbelief at how differently things are done today."

"We used to stook pretty near till Christmas," said Robert Aulotte speaking to his wife in Cree. "We stooked ten acres for four days at 10? an acre. Four days work for $10. I don't know how we made it."

They both agree that life was good back then. People were poor but happy.

Robert Aulotte used to thrash for nearby farmers from 6 a.m. till 8 p.m. for $1.50 a day. His team made $2 a day.

Philomen Aulotte could buy 50 lbs. of flour for $1, a package of tobacco for 10 cents and overalls and shirt were 50 cents to $1.

"I used to do some canning," said Aulotte, "but I don't know how, we never had the right jars."

Before Fishing Lake became the first Metis Settlement, people held meetings in the Aulotte home to alk about "having a colony, having a land."

Adrian Hope used to come in and put on meetings," said Philomen Aulotte. "One time they sent me to Edmonton to take up names to try and get a Metis Association going. I only had $14 to go to Edmonton and I didn't even know where to camp, me and Anne Collins and Adrian Hope. But I didn't really care. I knew what the people wanted. They chose us to register the Metis Association. I'm the only one (of the three) living now."

For 20 years from 1965 to 1985, the Aulottes lived in St. Paul and opened up their home to Native foster children.

"I love the kids," said Philomen. "It's not for the money but for my good heart. Nobody wants these Native kids."

They recently quit taking in children because of their age and ill health.

While living in St. Paul, Philomen, Robert and Eric Large were instrumental in starting the friendship centre.

"We started from scratch. We worked for two and a half years just to raise money. We gave them a good start."

Philomen was the president of the Metis Local in St. Paul for three years and a member of the board of directors on the Indian Rights for Native Women for ten years.

Then two years ago the Aulottes returned to Fishing Lake Metis Settlement to their modest home nestled comfortably on a small incline overlooking Frog Lake. Robert Aulotte at 76, still hunts small game and is taking advantage of this year's Indian summer. It is called this because "in olden times Indian people used to move, hunting and preparing for winter months. These were their days," he says.

Now that their 51st anniversary has passed, the days are quiet and filled with memories.

"Robert and I were talking about that the other day, said Philomen Aulotte. "As you get older, you quit remembering the days happening. You always remember the past just like it happens today."